Transcript
Speaker: Hello and welcome to this week's episode of Behind the Chair with myself, Lauren Garfit and the gorgeous, the beautiful, Ina Marie Smith. Hello, babe. Hello, hello. You are glowing. Thank you for glowing. So, babe, you're an actress and a voiceover artist, aren't you? I am. So tell me a little bit about what you do.
Speaker: Well, so I originally, I'm from the US, came here and started working on stage in London, which was awesome. And then I had a little one, three and a half years ago, and that kind of moved the trajectory of my career to mainly voiceover.
Speaker: And that's what I've been doing for the past couple of years. I do video games, I do animations, I do audiobooks, I do commercials, all sorts. So the reason why I wanted to get on is because as an actress you do have to consider how you look when you're filming your auditions or you're going into auditions.
Speaker: So that's what I wanted to touch upon, I want to talk about that and all of the other things that come with that, building your confidence. Do you feel like makeup and hair has an effect on how you audition? Absolutely, and I think a lot of the world has changed a lot since Covid as well, so we do a lot of self -tapes in terms of TV and film now.
Speaker: And that means that you're recording things from home, which means that you can be a little bit more adventurous with your hair and makeup. So for example, if you're auditioning for a period piece, you might actually change your hair and makeup in a way that maybe if you'd been doing an in -the -room audition five years ago, you might not have gone. What would you dare? Like a big wig?
Speaker: I was out on that other day, he said, you didn't have to wear Regency bonnet, right? But, you know, if you were to say, like, you know, a 80s movie, because that's like period now, apparently. You might do some proper like blue eyeshadow. You might actually like, you know, get the crimper out because we all have one in the back covered, right?
Speaker: I love it actually when I get my crimper out because crimping actually gives you loads of volume so sometimes I crimp at the roots and people's faces I'm like don't worry we're not crimping your head it's just for volume. You won't see it. Well I know now that if I need a crimper I'll ask Lauren.
Speaker: But also it means that, I mean, for me, for auditions, I think it's always been about the skin. It's like trying to make sure that your skin is in the best shape it can be. What are you doing at the minute? Because your skin is literally got acid to you earlier when you came into that. I was like, what have you done? Thanks babe. I've been trying out rituals.
Speaker: This is not an ad, London Bridge Station enough times. You try it. So I basically have been in the market for some new skincare, so I've been trying a bunch of different brands and I've really been loving them, but actually in terms of ads, I had a facial that Lauren gave me a few months ago, which really helped with my rosacea.
Speaker: Our rosacea is basically gone which is amazing. I'm getting another one on Sunday. Yeah so we did a million dollar facial which includes like dermaplaning, microneedling and lymphatic drainage so all of that helps with some of the concerns that you have or had had because of the girl. Fantastic.
Speaker: And I think that's a big thing is like trying to figure out how to get your skin to look as good as possible because most casting directors will say they don't want to see somebody in a lot of makeup. They really want to see what you look like. And then for the self tapes that we're having to do as actors nowadays, they want really close up as well. So once again, like if you've got tons of caked makeup on.
Speaker: that ain't gonna look good. oh my god the anxiety of like the pause and like let's talk about that for a minute because the pause and texture thing is such an interesting conversation because i am actually quite tired of saying i mean i'm guilty of it right i love a filler every now and again you know when you like feel like rubbish and you haven't got any makeup on and i go on my stories and i love a filler every now and again
Speaker: But saying that I feel like I do with my work I always show like the real images and I'll show the texture and I'll not edit them so that they're completely airbrushed and Do you feel like with all the images out there? Do you feel like oh my god?
Speaker: Do I look like a mess? 100%. I think it's because, you know, you do. You whack like that Paris filter on everything that just gives you a little bit of a blur. And then suddenly you're watching the self tape that you're doing for like a crazy casting director from Amazing and you're like, oh my God, I look terrible. And you're like, can I put a filter on it? And you're like, no, you can't because that's not what you look like. And I do think it gives you a really unrealistic expectation when the only images you're ever seeing of yourself have a filter on them.
Speaker: when you suddenly have to film in you know really good daylight so they can see your face and see what you actually look like. Yeah 100 % and I love like Judi Dench.
Speaker: and Julie Wallace and they don't do any of the Botox, not that there's anything wrong with Botox, but I just think, especially with being an actress and seeing your facial expressions and seeing the minute details of your face is actually so characterful, isn't it? And interesting. It's not really that interesting, isn't it? Just looking at a sort of airbrushed image.
Speaker: it really adds to the character of someone, doesn't it? We've all had a makeup mishap, right? So do you have any like funny or memorable bloopers from behind the scenes on set or just in real life or whatever? Yeah, I wouldn't say it was like a blooper, but it was definitely one of the oddest experiences I had. I was filming something for the Discovery Channel, you know, one of those like murder, like I was like, I was getting murdered basically.
Speaker: And it was this fight that this woman and her husband were having. And the makeup artist, we haven't even rehearsed the scene yet. She has no idea who I am as an actress. And she's like, would you like me to put fake tears in your eyes? And I was like, this girl can cry on her own. But I found it really interesting that they kind of automatically just were like, oh, we'll fix it with makeup as opposed to with acting, which
Speaker: I love that. But then the pressure when I was like, no, I don't need your fake tears. And then I was like, Oh my God. What do you do? Like when you need to cry, do you actually, do you like, like Joey from friends, do you pluck a pew? For me, I usually, if I'm, if I'm in the scene and it sounds so, but like if I'm in the scene in the character, um, then I usually,
Speaker: get wherever I need to be in that space. Or if it's something that has to start there, I tend to utilize kind of past memories and things like that or imagination. Bit of method. Bit of method. Or makeup. Or just make it, babe. Make it till you make it. Just makeup.
Speaker: So do you have any must -have, this is actually, I like this question, if you're going on set or you're like filming or you're getting your head shots done, is there a makeup item that you always will go, and I think I know the answer to this question, is there a makeup item that you will always have in your bag with you on set? I usually have a lipstick.
Speaker: because I knew you were going to say that. I really like a bright lipstick. And even in head shots and stuff like that, I still like a bright lipstick. If it had been a good theme with my wedding, I definitely would have done a bright lip on my wedding. It didn't really work with my wedding, but I would have done a bright red lip. And there definitely have been times in the past
Speaker: that I have brought my own foundation just because I have had foundations used on me that have maybe looked great in the time but that have caused really bad breakouts. But I haven't done that so much recently, but there were some times in the past that I would bring my own foundation. It depends on how much I trust the makeup artist as well. Yeah, that's true. Because if you don't know what they're using, if they're just, well, they could be using literally anything. Yeah. I'm a massive fan of, like,
Speaker: how the foundation feels when I'm using foundation. Like I do not put something in my kit and you know this about me, unless I've used it on my own skin. Yeah. Cause I'm a bit funny with, I don't like it when it feels like your skin can't breathe. There is foundations where they're like full of coverage and it is quite cakey and it's got that sort of like, Oh, what's that called? That product, the stick product. We used to always use it on stage when I was a kid, when I used to dance. It was like that thick,
Speaker: Max Factor. I think we call it pancake makeup. It's pan stick. Oh, pan stick. That's a small. In America we call it pancake. And it is disgusting. It's like paint and it feels gross and like everything sticks to it, like hairs and like, oh, it's just minging. So I hate that feeling. So yes, I am all for nice feeling foundation. Talk more about your wedding makeup. What did you like about your wedding makeup? What lipstick did you wear?
Speaker: I wore like a pinky lip gloss. It was kind of like a pinky coral. Once again, something that I would, if I go back on time, I had a friend do my makeup for my wedding.
Speaker: I would obviously have had Lauren do it. We did know each other but you lived in Newcastle at the time. And I wasn't actually a makeup artist yet. I think at the time I didn't necessarily appreciate what a really good makeup artist could do and because I had done theatre my whole life where you often do your own makeup
Speaker: I had a friend who had worked for Mac and done some training and so she did my makeup But the first time she did it as a trial I went to show my fiance and he asked me why I looked like I was in Twilight So we decided to tone down some of the shades
Speaker: So like, yeah, he didn't like it at all. I thought it was like Kristen. Did he, sorry, she used purple. Yeah, I think that was like kind of purpley. We toned it down. To be fair, I love all my pictures from the wedding and I went for a very natural, relaxed kind of vibe. It was all like very nature -y, very so.
Speaker: Yeah, you look beautiful. Thank you. You look so pretty. And you look quite natural. You don't look like you've got too much on. And you still look like yourself in the pictures, which I think is important. I think that was my biggest worry. One of the reasons, and this is probably a big misconception for people who don't know about makeup artists, is that my concern was that if I hired a makeup artist, I was going to have somebody who put tons of makeup on me.
Speaker: and I didn't want that because that had been experienced sometimes on set where they really cake it on and I've got quite big eyes, I've got quite big features, I can look like a drag queen very quickly. I would love to look like a drag queen FYI. Maybe not on your way.
Speaker: Why not? Because like even my friend like that was the thing was like oh we need less makeup so I think yeah that was kind of my worry was that I'd have to pick someone pay all this money and then I'd look super made over and I wanted to look like myself. That is one of the biggest questions that people ask me and one of the biggest concerns people have and especially they usually tell me after like once I've done their makeup and it's all like fine and they're all happy they're like oh I was so worried that
Speaker: you know, it was gonna be really heavy and it was gonna like feel uncomfortable or like I wasn't gonna look like myself. So yes, I love that feedback when people are like, I just felt like beautiful, but like my best self, that's my favourite bit of feedback.
Speaker: What did your fiancé or, well, husband actually say then on the day of your wedding? Did he like your final look? It looked great. It looked great on the day. It was just the trial. And to be fair, I think one of the, and this is actually something that I do think is really interesting about if you've never had a makeup artist do your makeup, what can be fascinating is sometimes it can teach you new things about your face. And I think the biggest thing is that
Speaker: I think before my makeup, I'd never, ever put anything on my brows, before my makeup, before my wedding. I'd never, ever put anything on my brows, other than I'd obviously pluck them and stuff, but I'd literally never used a brow pencil. And so when my friend was like, I'm going to pencil your eyebrows a bit, she's like, you're going to be okay.
Speaker: And it was fast. It's going to be OK. But if you've never done that, it can be a bit like, oh my god. But actually, now I always do my brows. Like, it's something that I think from then I did take away. So I think sometimes getting your makeup done by a makeup artist can be really, can open your eyes, literally, to new ways and things that can be quite simple and quite doable on a daily basis. I'd say brows are now like, if I'm only doing a couple of things in my makeup,
Speaker: I'll do my brows. Yeah, what's your current routine? What's your like go -tos? So I'm obsessed with the knockoff Charlotte Tilbury filter, flawless filter. From the health. So that's like a go -to. Do my brows, bit of mascara.
Speaker: bit of blush. Blush is actually like one of my favorites. I think it's from my theater days. Like I was getting a rosy, a rosy apple of the cheek and a little bit of lipstick or lip gloss. Yeah. And I think like that's enough. When I like picture your makeup, I just think of that lip because you always either have like a berry or like a pink or like a really nice future. You always have like a really nice color on.
Speaker: And for those who aren't, like, obviously seeing Ina's face, she has, like, lovely green eyes. So, like, when she wears the pink, it really, like, pops with the eyes. It's cute. And I love her red. I love her red. I do. You do see her red. What have I taught you over the years of us knowing each other? What have I taught you about makeup that you think about quite often? Well, what I always think about in my bathroom, when I'm better off, is Lauren going, cleanse and tone. Cleanse and tone. Actually, it's Lauren's mother. It's literally Maureen's voice.
Speaker: So I think one of the big things is eyeshadow. I tend to always do a very kind of basic taupe with a bit of a sparkle over it, which is something that you tend to do right in the middle of the eyelid. It's a favourite and you kind of can't go wrong with a taupe. Kind of everyone suits taupe and a little bit of sparkle, a little bit of shimmer. I think it's one of the biggest myths is thinking that.
Speaker: you know, if you're whatever age, you're not allowed to wear sparkle. I think anyone can wear sparkle if you just put it in the right place. And something that I'm still trying to come around to is doing under eye concealer last. It's hard. It's hard for those of us who have always done it first.
Speaker: It's moving its way backwards in my routine. So then, forwards I guess. So you've just given me an idea for a podcast is the order of makeup. The correct order. How has your makeup or your beauty routine changed since you've become a mum?
Speaker: So I think it's something I think everyone's going to be really different with this. And I think for some people they'll be like, oh, I had no time or less time. I think for me, actually, I've been more thoughtful about it almost in a way, because it's been something that you don't have a lot of self care time as a mom. You or you don't make it a priority. And so for me, doing something like a face mask
Speaker: doing my makeup on a day that I'm not feeling great, doing a hair mask, oh my god, I know this is not a hair thing, but Olaplex, giving myself time during the week to be like, I am doing an Olaplex hair mask today. That to me has been so integral to the mental health aspect when you are spending so much of your life and energy taking care of other people. And so for me, prior to having her, I'd say,
Speaker: you know i was always really into skincare especially being an actor being on screen a lot but it was very much like a oh slap dash i'll just do this because i don't want to look old where now it's like a ritual it's like a protected time like working out um of something that makes that actually like contributes to my mental health
Speaker: Oh my God, I love that. And also it doesn't need to be that long. No, but it's like the way even that you do it. Like when I like put my serum on, I'm literally like, I'm in a spa. As opposed to just like, Oh no, I've got to put serum on. Like it's like, Oh no, this is like a moment where I get to like give love to myself. That's so nice.
Speaker: Also, I completely relate to that because as a child of a mum who absolutely loves makeup and beauty, she always had her lipstick on, always did a mascara. And I used to sit and watch her put an mascara on, always be like, wow. And I don't know if you had it in the States, but this thing called, I've forgotten what it's called now, but it's like you put it on top of your lipstick and it seals your lipstick and it smells
Speaker: like chemicals but it's got one of those really good smells like peril but it doesn't smell like peril do you know what i mean? we didn't have it but it's like the smell of tires it's like really bad for you but it smells great yeah and it also worked but like my mom used to do this thing where she'd like sit there like this like this like oh there there there's that tatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatat
Speaker: Oh yeah, I relate because yeah, even though I've got three brothers and there's four of us, she would always make time for her beauty routine and for her hair and her makeup and yeah, I love that. It's almost like it means more when you get to do it because you take the time as opposed to feeling like
Speaker: I think in my 20s and stuff, it was like, oh, I need to put this stuff on because I need other people to think this way about me, where now it's like I put it on because I want to look in the mirror and look like myself and feel good about myself. It's like very much an internal thing as opposed to something that used to be quite external. Yeah, I love that. It's really sweet. Bless you. Supposed to be funny podcast, you know?
Speaker: Is there a makeup product or a makeup technique that you've seen and you think, God, I wish I could master that? A cat eye. I still, I've tried so many. They're always different. One looks great, the other one looks like I've been punched in the face. I've got a good tip for you. If you want to practice, I mean, it is practice, but try doing it with a coal pencil first. So mark out the shape.
Speaker: then get a concealer and like clean up the button. Okay. It's just too complicated. This is the thing. Too complicated. It's all right. The thing is you don't need to do a cat eye. So it's fine. No, it's fine. I'm probably a smoky eye. I think that's, I think that's someone who's like a muggle in the makeup world. I think there's a lot of us that like, we want to do kind of slightly bigger or more interesting looks.
Speaker: But it's like the time and practice that it takes to get good at those things. It's just not realistic that we're ever gonna take that time. Yeah. So you end up just doing your makeup the same way that you've done it since you were 16. Which is how your mom did it. That is one thing that I think a lot of people say that to me, that they've done their makeup the same way for like 20 years or 20 years or whatever it is. And then when I go to do their makeup,
Speaker: sometimes people can get quite a fright but actually it's not necessarily that it looks wrong it's just in their mind it's different all they've seen all they've seen is the same thing that they've been doing but usually I try and like I try and like slowly introduce it yeah in an ideal world I would gradually introduce each step like you said with the brows like maybe I'd introduce how to properly do the brows because I say a lot of like
Speaker: Ugh. Incorrect brows. We all do. Yeah. We all see them. I'm just gonna say right now, one tip. If you're the sort of person that thinks that they can't do their brows, first off, use a lighter shade. And I don't care what colour your eyebrows are, whether they're dark brown, light brown, or blonde, use a lighter shade. Because even if you use blonde on brown, it'll still look pretty good, and it'll be hard to go wrong.
Speaker: Ena, what is the product from your teenagers that you look back on and cringe? Lip venom?
Speaker: Do you remember, did you guys get lip, so lip venom was a gloss that you could put on your lips that would make your lips sting and swell to make them fuller? Okay. Yeah, we did that. And then I had so many shades of glitter. Like I would wear glitter on my eyelids like every day. Which I don't actually cringe. I kind of wish I'd do that today. I kind of think that's quite cool. I would not care if you did that right now.
Speaker: Um, what makeup product do you think is a bit overrated? Do you know, I actually don't know because anything that I would use over it, I just wouldn't use. I was, I was thinking about this and I was looking at my, my makeup that I have and anything that I don't use pretty much daily just gets tossed. I'd say maybe for me, like a highlighter stick, like I think I've had some highlighter sticks in the past and I haven't found that I've really used them.
Speaker: Okay, so highlighter, say. I love a highlighter, but yeah. Well, I do think it can look great on people. It's just I'm thinking like, what do I... Is there anything that I've gotten and then just not really used? But I tend to only buy things that I use. So what have you chucked? Because you said you usually chuck it. Well, I don't really buy them in the first place, so yeah.
Speaker: I was like, all I can think of is - But is there anything like you look at online or like you see on TikTok or something and that you think, God, that looks useless? There's many things that I see. Like people who are buying chains for their ear pods to turn them into just normal headphones. And I think you crazy.
Speaker: Um, I, oh, I don't like the cold rosy nose look. Not a fan. Not a fan of that.
Speaker: Don't like the freckle tattoo thing? Not a fan of that. Love freckles. Think they're lovely. Don't, but yeah. Things like that that I'm a bit like. So like fads. Yeah, things that I think. I literally saw a video the other day of a girl getting rainbow freckle tattoos on her face and I just thought, tattoo. Yeah. I was like, face tattoos are a real choice. I have a tattoo by the way. Love tattoos. Would you ever?
Speaker: get a face tattoo. No. I would not. What about if someone said to you, your daughter, or the face tattoo, you'd have to get the face tattoo. I'd have to get the face tattoo. What would you get? Rainbow Freckles. What would you get tattooed on you? Cat whiskers.
Speaker: But I actually think freckles. Is it really good? Yeah, freckles. If they were like, this is the deal. She's been kidnapped. I'd be like, yeah, I'll get a face tattoo. And I just get some super cute freckles.
Speaker: Super cute freckles. But I'm not, I'm not getting, I don't understand it. It's, it's like a big fad right now as face freckles. And I'm not quite, but I think that's a really good way out of it is to get freckles. But yeah, so I'd say things like that, that are super fatty, the whole contouring thing, never got into that. And I have to say like, I think I'm not a big fan of most eyelash extensions. I think sometimes they can look great, but I think most people look like a furry caterpillar climbed onto their eyes.
Speaker: The problem is, is we'll get addicted to them and I know what it's like, I used to get them and then you think, oh my god they look amazing, but then actually
Speaker: they overtake your eye shape and just pull your eyes down. Yeah. And that's where, but I've seen loads that are like really good. Yeah. There are absolutely ones that are good, but there are a lot that I think, especially younger girls are getting already getting like bigger and bigger ones. And there's just a point where you're like, what is happening? Have you seen some of them online where they can't even open their eyes and they like,
Speaker: I swear they just do it for the clicks for the views because people watch it and then like comment on it and say it's ridiculous and it helps the algorithm and all that. Yeah. So it's like total fake like post just for the sake of it. So these are some questions that I ask everybody, well I'm gonna ask everyone in the following episodes. So are you ready? I am ready. Okay are you ready? I have never been more ready.
Speaker: Lipstick or lip gloss? Lipstick. Oh, quick. How long does it take you to do your makeup? Seven minutes. Jeez. Seven minutes just from a mascara. How often do you wash your makeup brushes? I attempt to wash them every couple of months, even I know that's still bad. Are you just saying that because I'm here? No, I actually bought a really cool, once again, hashtag ad.
Speaker: It's by the brand of makeup brushes you recommended. Zueva. Zueva. And it's this like really cool bar of soap that's in a little canister I was targeted on Facebook. I bought it and I absolutely love it.
Speaker: And you basically like it's got a thing that you rub the brushes on and you clean it with everything is in one spot. And since then, I have actually washed them twice in like the last three months. Just a little side note, if you keep washing your brushes and you look after your brushes, they will last you. Yes. And also help with your skin. Natural babe or full glam goddess makeup? Natural babe that looks like a full glam goddess.
Speaker: Well isn't that just the dream? I want to look like I've got no makeup on but I also want to look like a different person. Basically. Okay so final question. What is your makeup ache? So I'm going to ask you sort of two questions in one question. So one of the questions is what's the thing that makes you go like ugh? A bit like the you know tattoo freckles and what's your favourite thing?
Speaker: The thing that makes me go is really clumpy mascara. Oh, yeah, it's gross. And then my favorite thing in the entire world is a beautiful vintage red lipstick. Mmm, good answer. And finally, what would be your desert island beauty product? It can be beauty or makeup, something that you could not live without apart from water, but yeah.
Speaker: Obviously my SPF 50 that I put on my face for. Tell your beauticians everywhere. I'd say it doesn't really work out of context with other makeup, but it would be a setting powder. Setting powder to me.
Speaker: getting a good setting powder that keeps my makeup on is like a, I actually can't live without it. Yeah, but what would be the point in the setting? Well, I know that's why I said it doesn't really work because you wouldn't have the other makeup on. You need to choose a different one. That doesn't count. That doesn't count. Choose a different one. So you're on a desert island. You've got like no clothes left. You look and all like, you've got a beard. Top hugs in Castaway. And you've got a...
Speaker: Beauty product, think about it. A bright lipstick. A bright lipstick. Well here's the thing, I could use the sand as an exfoliant. I'd be getting some nice bronzy tones from the sun already. That's true. I'd get a nice like sea salt wave from the ocean, hair that's bushy by the way.
Speaker: but I would say like I think mascara because it wakes you up and then I love a blush I love I think blush putting a little bit blush on can just like so if you choose the lipstick you could also have blush on lipstick true because you can put it all over your face in case you also wanted to scare away predators
Speaker: But also you may be seen from above. True. Everything can be done. So once again, it's red lipstick. We've got to choose it. Glow in the dark red lipstick. That's amazing. I love that. Thank you so much, Ina. Thank you. That's it for today's podcast. And yeah, thank you so much again. Bye. Bye. I hope that was recording.
Speaker: Turns out it did record. I am super over the moon with that podcast. It really made me laugh when I was listening to it back, editing it. Thank you so much for all the love on last week's episode. I literally have been loving preparing for the podcasts and getting all my guests in the diary. So far I have four guests coming up for the next few weeks. So please tune in, subscribe.
Speaker: If you want to listen, you know, do all that stuff so that you'll get the notification for the next ones. And if you have any questions or comments, please let me know. I'm Lauren Garfit makeup on Instagram. And yeah, if you type Lauren Garfit into Google, you'll find me. Okay. Thanks guys. Bye.
